Beezie Madden Highlights Top Ranked Athletes Competing During Final Week of 2018 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival

August 7, 2018

Colombia's Roberto Teran Tafur won the $100,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3* in 2017 with Brilliant Du Rouet. Find out who will take home this year's top prize on Sunday at GLEF! Photo: Diana Hadsall Photography

Traverse City, Mich. – Aug. 7, 2018 – Week VI (Aug. 8-12) of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) marks the final week of the 2018 circuit, highlighting more FEI CSI3* competition featuring some of the world’s best show jumping athletes.

International show jumping competition in the Grand Prix Ring begins on Wednesday at the Flintfields Horse Park with the $6,000 Staller 1.40m Jumper CSI3* class followed by the $35,000 CWD Welcome Speed Stake CSI3* on Thursday and the $35,000 Great Lakes Classic CSI3* on Friday. This year’s grand finale, the $100,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3*, will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m.

After passing Tuesday’s jog inspection, Week VI will feature a total of 35 athletes and 63 horses from eight nations around the world, including the USA, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador.

Competing for the first time at GLEF is two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden with her string of talented up-and-coming mounts Coach, Con Taggio and Jiva. Madden is currently ranked 12th in the world on the Longines Rankings list and is the reigning Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final champion after her incredible performances with Breitling LS at the championship in Paris, France, in April.

Returning to GLEF this week is Margie Engle from the United States with her veteran partners Indigo and Royce. Engle, who is ranked 28th in the world, claimed the $35,000 East Wind Farms Welcome Stake CSI3* and $100,000 Grand Traverse Grand Prix CSI3* on Thursday and Sunday during Week V with Dicas, and will no doubt be aiming to keep her winning streak alive into Week VI.

Ranked 58th in the world, Kristen Vanderveen (USA), who won Week V’s $35,000 Grand Traverse Classic CSI3* on Friday, will also be back with her three mounts: Bull Run’s Almighty, Bull Run’s Divine Fortune and Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili.

In addition, after winning the most coveted prize of the 2017 circuit, Columbia’s Roberto Teran Tafur is prepared to defend his title in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3* with Il Rubacuori.

Other top contenders to keep an eye out for include Venezuelan Olympian Pablo Barrios, who recently won the individual gold medal at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in July, Santiago Lambre (MEX), Quentin Judge (USA), Jonathon Millar (CAN), Peter Lutz (USA), Samuel Parot (CHI), Alison Robitaille (USA) and Luis Pedro Biraben (ARG), to name a few.

Do not miss your chance to see the best of the best in show jumping go head-to-head in the exciting conclusion of the 2018 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, and catch all of the action live on GLEF TV! To see the full FEI athletes list for GLEF Week VI, click here.

What:
The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) is held annually in July and August at the Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan, located just outside Traverse City. This six-week event hosts nationally and internationally rated hunter/jumper competition, featuring weekly classes and classics for children, junior, adult and amateur-owner riders. Each week, the festival also holds classes for young horses, open jumper classes and professional hunter derbies, culminating every Sunday with an exciting grand prix show jumping competition with some of the world’s top athletes.

Hospitality: Tables of six are available in the beautiful VIP Club overlooking the Grand Prix Ring throughout the 2018 GLEF – the perfect way to entertain clients and friends this summer! Download a table reservation form here!

Flight accommodations: Traverse City is as easy to get to as life is once you arrive! Nonstop flights from Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metro Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport – TVC are available all summer long! Visit www.tvcairport.com for more information!

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